Back In Town
by Alice Deathwalker
Summary: He's returned after almost a decade away. He knew he'd have to face his past one day, he just wasn't expecting it to be so difficult.


Back In Town

CH 1

Stiles pulled up to the front of the Hale house and parked his old jeep in the driveway. He admired the garden and the upkeep of the house, which had been rebuilt and stood proudly against the wilderness behind it. He slipped out of his car and felt his feet crunch on the gravel below him. He bit his lip as a torrent of emotions rushed through him. He had never imagined he'd be back, even after nine years. He felt his mind getting weary as the memories returned; so many happy and so many sad. He reached the entrance of the once happy house and raised his fist to knock. As he did so, the flash on his finger made him stop. His engagement ring shone brightly in the day light, the diamond promising happiness and joy. He slowly pried it off his finger and put it into his coat pocket, shaking himself out of his funk. What needed to be done would be done.

He reached the front door and tried the door knob expecting it to turn like it always did. Instead it jarred so he knocked on the heavy door three times.

"Coming!" A familiar voice echoed before the door swung open revealing Derek, phone to his ear, his mouth agape at the sight of him.

" I'll call you back" he spoke into the phone before hanging up, not waiting for the other person to respond.

"Hi" stiles managed with a forced smile.

"Hi." Derek echoed staring at him like he was some sort of hollow apparition.

"What are you doing here?" Derek managed, after a moment that felt like a lifetime.

"Uh I just came into town for a little bit. For Dad's birthday." Stiles justified knowing that Derek could sleuth out his lie.

"Oh ok." Derek nodded

"John didn't say anything. About you coming. We were supposed to have dinner on the fourth." Derek added quietly.

"Uh. I. I wanted to surprise him" Stiles shrugged, knowing that Derek could hear the beats of his hear increase rapidly as he lied.

"Can I come in?" Stiles smiled hopefully.

"Yeah. Of course. You're welcome anytime" Derek responded opening the door and letting him in.

Stiles took off his coat and hung it on the rack that he had remembered nailing in himself a few months after he had moved in. He gazed around the handsome interior, more memories flooding back again, his heart feeling like it was about to drown.

"It looks just the same" he whispered running a hand over a large wooden column.

"Uh do you want something to drink?" Derek asked politely.

"Water would be great." Stiles replied spying the familiar wall of photos. He smiled as he saw the picture of their friends and even a few of his dad, the sherrif. He continued on to see the old picture of the Hale family, one edge burnt, leaving a black singe in the corner. He was about to turn around when he saw that picture again.

Stiles' breathing shallowed as he looked at an image of the cutest toddler in the world, at least his world, smiling back at him. His honey brown eyes sparkled against his jet black hair as he laughed from the middle of a pile of leaves. Despite himself, he continued to the next picture, where a picture of himself, younger and happier, held the toddler and smiled back at the camera. He ended on one photo that brought a dull throb into his entire being. A picture where Derek and Stiles helped blow out five candles on a birthday cake, the same toddler smiling in glee, hands outstretched to the camera.

"Stiles?"

Derek's voice made him jump.

Derek looked at him, a glass of water in hand, his face curiously void of any emotion.

"You. You still have them up" Stiles managed pointing to the wall.

"Yeah."

"I haven't seen them in so long" Stiles whispered, blinking rapidly.

Derek nodded somberly.

"Would you like to take them with you?" He asked quietly.

"No. No. They belong here." Stiles mumbled as he took a sip of water.

The doorbell rang suddenly, making them both turn.

"They're early" Derek frowned heading towards the door, before Stiles could ask who.

He followed Derek to the front door only to find Scott and Allison, both holding large coolers in their hands smiling from the doorway.

"Stiles?!" They both exclaimed in unison.

"What are you doing here?" Scott exclaimed in surprise. "Why didn't you call us?"

"Oh it was a spur of the moment thing. Just wanted to come visit my dad for a few days." Stiles nodded going in for a hug.

"You should still have called" Allison chided pulling him In for a hug herself. "You look really good Stiles" she nodded, assessing him approvingly.

"I do?"

"Yeah you do. Washington's been good for you" Scott grinned.

"So…everyone ready?" Allson asked cheerfully.

"Yeah" Derek affirmed, grabbing his coat.

"Stiles you want to ride with us?" Scott asked breezily.

"Uh actually I was going to head home to see dad. He wasn't able to pick me up this afternoon." Stiles explained quickly.

"So you'll ride with Derek" Allison concluded, not taking his explanation as a way out.

"Uh."

"We'll see you guys there! The crew's going to be over the moon to see you!" Scott grinned depositing his cooler near the entrance and heading towards their sedan."

"Pun intended. Right honey?" Allison added, depositing her own, smaller cooler at the entrance and following suite.

Stiles laughed with a roll of his eyes. Scott could always put him in a good mood, even though everything else was tugging at his conscience.

XXXXXX

Stiles pulled into the driveway of the Stilinksi house and saw his father's cruiser waiting for him. He went inside and called out his name.

"Dad?"

"Stiles Stilinksi, how dare you not call and let me know you were at the airport?" His dad's voice reached him a moment before his father, a little more grey in his hair and dressed in a comfortable pair of pants and cardigan approached, his house slippers shuffling underneath him.

"I took a cab. Easier on all of us." Stiles grinned.

"Come here" the Sherriff smiled, pulling him into a bear hug. "It's good to have you home son."

"It's good to be back dad" Stiles smiled, breathing in the familiar scent of scotch and his father's cologne.

"So, where's your fella?"

"Uh. I didn't want him to come with me yet."

The Sherriff frowned. "Why not?"

"There's some things to take care of first. I want to bring Sam when things are cleared up."

"Cleared up" the Sherriff echoed quietly.

"Yes dad." Stiles spoke firmly, irritated that his father would bring up the conversation yet again, even though they had several heated arguments about it previously.

"Ok ok. You're adult Stiles. You make your own decisions."The Sherriff acknowledged placing an arm around him and bringing him into the house.

Stiles followed his father to the living room where a table held some pictures of the Stilinski family. He smiled as he saw pictures of him as a kid and his parents, and then that picture of him holding that happy toddler, again. He touched the surface of the picture frame, tracing the outline of the toddlers smile, wishing for the thousandth time, that he could walk out of there and get back on the next plane home.

"So what are your plans for the next few days Stiles?" The sheriff asked from the kitchen.

A knock on the door stopped him from answering.

"I wonder who that could be?" the Sherriff asked.

Stiles went to the front door and opened it to find Derek waiting.

"Oh. Hey."

"Uh Scott and Allison asked me to make sure you came to the bonfire." Derek spoke looking a little uncomfortable.

"Right." Stiles responded trying to think of another excuse.

"If it's alright, I was just going to spend a night in with my dad. I'm sure they won't mind me missing it this once."

"I'll mind" his dad answered, walking to the door and patting Derek on the back.

"How are you doing son? Those steaks fire up well?" The Sherriff grinned.

"Yeah they were amazing dad" Derek smiled back.

"Good. Alright well. You two have fun and drive safely" the Sherriff grinned effectively shutting down any hopes Stiles had of escaping the dreaded reunion. He grabbed his coat and followed Derek, his stomach filling with butterflies as he realized he'd be stuck in a small space with someone he hadn't talked to in years.

XXXXXXXXXX

Stiles slid into the passenger's seat of the Camaro and sighed when even more memories flooded back. He looked in the rearview mirror and felt a shock of relief as there was no booster seat there to greet him.

Derek climbed in and looked over with a terse smile.

"I have some steaks for the bonfire. Your dad gave me a bunch. I'll make you one."

"Thanks" Stiles returned with his own small smile as they pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the beach.

Derek turned on the stereo and Stiles managed a bittersweet smile

"No Dora The Explorer audio books?" he asked quietly.

Derek pressed a button on the dash and Dora's happy voice came through the speakers. Stiles blinked to stop the tears and quickly reached over and pressed the button, shutting off Dora just as she asked the listeners what they saw outside their windows.

"I'm a little tired from the flight. Mind if I take a nap?" Stiles asked as the silence entered the car interior again.

"Sure" Derek nodded and Stiles took the chance to turn towards the window shutting his eyes and wishing with everything he had that he could be as far away as he could be from Beacon Hills.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Notes: idea came to me so I had to write it down!


End file.
